Ambridge ups and downs - 19 November 2012

Why has nobody in Ambridge heard of the Welfare State or benefits, when the rest of the country talk of little else?!! Is it a parallel universe were there is no central government and the neighbours all have to look after each other? In the real world Ed and Emma would be claiming Working Tax Credits, Child Tax Credits for two children, and Housing and Council Tax Benefit for Rickyard Cottage. Given Ed's self-employed income it is likely that the whole if not the vast majority of their rent would be paid! They would probably be as well if not better off than Will and Nic given how generous tax credits are. This is what benefits are for! Presumably Nic was claiming Income Support and Child Tax Credits before she met Will, so why hasn't she told her brother-in-law about claiming! Also at least half if not more of the Horrobin clan will be on benefits so how come Susan hasn't heard of them? The very last thing that Emma should do is let George go and stay with his father more often. Nic will be claiming Child Tax Credits for her children and she is probably switched on enough to know that if the "main responsibility" for George changes to his Dad, he will be able to claim the tax credits in place of the mother - and Emma would stand to lose a considerable amount of her income.



I know the script writers like a "sob story" but could we please live more in the real world. When it started, The Archers was supposed to be an educational programme! This is an opportunity to explain to people how the welfare state works, how it comes to the aid of people who fall on hard times through no fault of their own and how, although community help is very good, it is no replacement for the long-stop of benefits. The idea of Emma having to feed herself and her daughter at a food bank and to rely on her hard up parents is just ludicrous!



mudito